A Silent Flame Burns
by alint121
Summary: A story about Bolin and Opal's daughter.
1. Chapter 0

**This is a preface/short story before the actual story line begins. Chapter 1 is where the story officially starts. This is just a little back story that I wrote before coming up with a set plot.**

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Liang was rather tall for 9 and she was still growing. Standing at around 5'2", Liang appeared in Republic City's Police department where her Uncle Mako worked. While she was the daughter of Bolin and Opal, she kept a low profile. Today she sought out her Uncle who worked way too many hours at the police station according to her father. He was always very busy, but today was an especially busy day. There were tons of adults running around and Liang was starting to get lost in the crowd. She'd been at the police station several times, but never when it was this crazy. Keeping her eyes alert, Liang spotted her Uncle or at least what she thought was her uncle. It looked like him from the back. Liang pushed her way through the crowd and reached out for the man, who turned around startled. The man wasn't her uncle. He looked at her and held her wrist as he spoke quickly. Liang tried to pull away, but was held in place as the man leaned in closer and spoke louder. Liang tried to push the man's grip off of her, but it didn't budge. She let out a sound that was almost animalistic as she struggled. As she struggled, the man dragged her through the building and was about to throw her out the front door when he stopped. Liang turned to see what stopped the officer and saw her uncle running towards them.

The two spoke quickly before the officer apologized to Liang and Mako. Liang watched the man walk away as Mako hunched down to converse with her. ' _What are you doing here? Did something happen?'_ Mako asked using his hands to communicate with his niece. He knew there were things happening with his brother and his family, especially since they were planning on going to Zaofu to visit Opal's family. Liang didn't reply all she did was grab Mako's hand and pulled him aside.

' _There's something I need to show you. Can you come with me?'_ Liang asked as she looked around somewhat nervously. Mako saw the seriousness in her face and nodded. Liang guided Mako out of the building and in a back alley. Mako had a bad feeling about this, but he followed without question. He sympathized with Liang because he understood what it was like to have adults push and pull you in various directions without your consent. He also knew that she had to make tough decisions at a young age.

Once they were away from everyone, Liang let go of Mako's hand and took a step back. She looked at him for a moment before opening her hand. As she revealed her palm, a spark of electricity appeared. It grew and grew until it surrounded Liang's hand in a form of a gauntlet similar to Asami's electrified glove. Mako watched in silence as he tried to understand what was happening. Liang looked at him with quiet eyes. They gave nothing away about what was going on in her head. As the electricity subsided it turned into a yellow flame tinged with green before completely disappearing.

"You're a firebender," Mako stated in disbelief. He looked at Liang and signed, ' _How long have you been able to do that?'_

' _Almost a year now. I've been training in secret because it's not Mom or Dad's bending. Why am I a firebender?'_ Mako could feel the uncertainty in her aura, but there was also something else that he couldn't place. She seemed so sure of herself and her abilities, yet she was unsure of her place in the family. ' _Am I a freak? Is dad really my dad?'_

Mako took a knee and reassured his niece, ' _Yes, your dad is really your dad. Your grand-mother, my mother, was a firebending, which is why I'm a firebender, which also explains why you're a firebender. It's not uncommon for children to have different bending abilities than their parents.'_ Still, Mako was unsure. He knew that he had to reassure Liang, but at the same time there was doubt in his mind. He wondered if she could sense that doubt. ' _We should talk to your parents'_

Mako told Liang to wait outside of the building while he finished business inside. He appeared only a few minutes after he went in and drove to his brother's house. While they were driving Mako asked, ' _Who taught you how to firebend?'_

' _You did. Remember when I ran away last year and you had the police department look for me. I got really angry and was letting off steam and as I threw a punch...boom'._ Liang made an explosion sound with her mouth as her hands expanded. Mako thought about the story and thought for a moment. That explained a lot. Liang ran away during the winter without proper clothes. She was gone for almost three days and when they found her she was perfectly fine. Surviving the nights using fire bending would explain a lot…

They got to the house and Mako got out of the car. Liang didn't want to get out. Instead she stared ahead as if ignoring the rest of the world. Mako's eyes softened as he could tell that she didn't want to talk to her parents about this. Mako stood outside of the car and waited for a moment before sighing heavily. He got back in the car and turned to Liang. ' _It's better if we told them. Then you could get firebending training.'_

' _They'll just want to change me. They'll tell me that everything's alright, but then they'll send me to another healer to fix me. Can't I just learn from you? I can just watch. I promise I won't be a bother.'_ Liang didn't want to think about what her parents would do when they found out that she wasn't an airbender or earthbender.

' _I could talk to them for you, but you know it's better to hear the story from the source. As a police officer I like to find the truth and everyone's story is different. Wouldn't you rather tell your story instead of someone else telling it for you?'_ Mako wasn't great with kids, so he tried to treat his niece and nephews like adults. He didn't water anything down nor did he assume they were ignorant. He stated the facts and let them figure things out.

With a deep breath, Liang turned away from Mako and got out of the car. He smiled as he realized that she conceded. They two walked into the house and immediately Bolin ran out and embraced his daughter. Today was his day off, but Bolin had his hands full with the twins who were just shy of their 5th birthdays and still very energetic. The two boys were running around the house and Bolin yelled at them to stop running and bending inside the house. "Mako, I'm so glad you found Liang. Thanks. There was so much going on…"

Mako stopped Bolin before he could say anything else. "Bolin, Liang has something she needs to tell you." The two exchanged looks. They had an unspoken language that developed when they were children themselves. Bolin seemed to get the message and nodded he turned to his daughter and asked, ' _what's up?'_ There was a lightness to his tone which made Liang feel even more uncomfortable with what she had to say.

Liang shifted in her spot for a moment or two and said, ' _I'm a firebender.'_ This statement caught Bolin off guard and he froze trying to comprehend what just happened. Bolin stood there for a moment before composing himself and replying, ' _Fire?' Maybe it's lava? I'm a lava bender. The two can look very similar.'_ For some reason Bolin wasn't thinking properly and was saying things that were obviously not possible. This comment made Liang angry though. She clenched her fists and turned away from her father.

Liang's face contorted in anger as she replied, ' _No. You're not listening. You never listen! You just want to hear what you want.'_ With that Liang stormed out the door. Bolin began to chase after her, but Mako stopped him.

"I'll handle this little brother. But yes, she's a firebender and she's really angry with you and Opal. To be honest, I can understand why. We'll talk about this later," Mako said as he followed Liang's path. She ran off and Mako knew that if he didn't do something quick she could disappear for another three days like before. Mako knew that calling her name was pointless, so instead he thought about where she could go in that short amount of time. Using his knowledge of the city, he eventually found her.

Liang was very upset when Mako found her. ' _Hey, I had a feeling you'd be here. Want to talk?'_ Liang looked at her Uncle and turned away. Mako sighed and thought to himself for a moment. She reminded him of Bolin when they were younger. He nudged her to get her attention as he offered, ' _Let's go somewhere fun.'_ Liang looked at her uncle skeptically before agreeing to go with him.

Mako made a few calls as they drove. If Liang didn't feel so terrible she'd try to read his lips, but at the moment she didn't want to put in the effort. Mako drove up to the pro-bending training building and Liang's face lit up. She jumped out of the car before Mako killed the engine and was through the doors in a heartbeat. She looked around as the large gym was pretty much empty and breathed in the air, which wasn't a great idea. Mako looked at the owner who stood by the front door. "Thanks for this," Mako stated before the owner shrugged Mako off and disappeared down the hall. Mako approached Liang and said, ' _Ready for your first firebending lesson?'_

Mako waited for Liang to get ready. She was eager to start and listened intently. Mako explained how to generate a flame and put power behind it as well as how to make short, yet powerful bursts of flame. Liang picked it up fast. As Mako watched her he noticed that her flame was unique in color. It burned a bright yellow with green flames mixed in. He read about Azula's blue flame, but didn't entirely believe that flames could vary in such ways. Liang was light on her feet and able to precisely attack. He defending and dodging was interesting though. At times she'd dodge like an airbender, using circular motion to evade. At other times she'd stand her ground and weather the attack like an earthbender, returning the attack with an even more powerful blow. As Mako worked with Liang he discovered that she was extremely talented, especially when she let loose.


	2. Chapter 1

**This is the official start of the story. I'll periodically post short blurbs and stories about Liang's past and what-not, but this will be the start of the main story line.**

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Liang was getting ready for her pro-bending match. It'd been almost a year since her debut with the Amber Armadillo Tigers. She'd been training with her Uncle Mako since she was 9 and now at age 16 she was really making a name for herself. While she was still a small time player, Liang was getting a lot of attention for her unique flame color. At first the referees put restrictions on her flames due to their unique color and the intensity that they burned at, but after making adjustments to her flame production she stopped getting penalties and started winning. Known for her intense play style as well as her efficiency, Liang was a force to reckon with. Still, she wasn't making much money especially considering that she was paying for her training space as well as equipment.

With a heavy sigh, Liang helped close up the arena before heading back home herself. She knew the facility well since she spent most of her days there for the last 7 years. For her the building was more like a second home for her and a place to truly be herself.

As Liang exited the building a chill went through the air. Liang didn't exactly like the cold and a shiver confirmed it. Drawing her arms around herself, Liang let out a breath of fire which helped warm her body as she made her way through the streets. The sun had gone down only a half hour before, but already gangs were gathering on the edges of the roads. Liang knew about these different gangs and knew to keep her distance. Both her father and uncle warned her about the gangs and how getting involved was dangerous. While she believed them, she wondered just how dangerous they were. Keeping her eyes low, Liang ignored the various people who were on the streets...until a fight broke out. She'd been in the wrong place at the wrong time and now she was caught in an all out brawl. Fire was flying over head while ice shards flew through the air. Big boulders threatened to crush anyone who didn't flee from the scene. Liang had to duck for cover as she scrambled to evade attacks.

Every turn she made there was another person throwing ice or fire balls. Taking a more defensive stance, Liang prepared to protect herself. An ice shard flew towards her and she immediately incinerated it until it turned to steam. This was a mistake because now she was being targeted by the various gang members. Before she knew it, Liang was fighting for her life in the middle of a firefight. She was being flanked on both sides by the Triple Threat Triad and the Creeping Crystal Triad.

A charge through the air made the hair on Liang's arms stand tall. She saw a lightning strike aimed at a gang member who was already knocked out. Jumping in front of the individual, Liang redirected the lightning into the air which seemed to alert the already deployed police. Liang hoped that her father wouldn't find her here, but it wasn't like he could be angry. She wasn't looking for a fight. After a long day training, fighting in the streets was the last thing she wanted to do. Once the lightning was redirected the focus of several benders was on Liang. She regretted a lot in that moment as she was bombarded by various attacks. It took all of her energy to fend of the six benders who were encircling her. Just when she thought things were over, the police arrived to break up the fight. While most wouldn't bother with the police, this fight seemed to transcend them. Liang wondered what took them so long as they started to attack the various gang members.

Getting a bit distracted, Liang turned to face the police hoping that she wouldn't see her father's face. While she did this a bolt of lightning struck her in the back causing her to leave the ground. Reacting on instinct, Liang extended her pointer and middle finger on her left hand and let the electricity exit her body. She hit the ground hard as the lightning exited her body and through her left arm. Her redirection wasn't good enough because it was guided to a police vehicle which exploded immediately pushing several individuals back. Liang felt her vision fade slightly as her body still tingled with electricity. She cringed on the ground as she looked up to see people fleeing the scene. Too weak to move on her own, Liang felt two people pick her up and run away from the fight.


	3. Chapter 2

Bolin was sitting at his desk looking over a few papers as Mako did the same. He eyed his brother and walked over. "Hey bro," Bolin stated with his signature smirk that indicated he had an idea.

Mako looked at his brother for a moment before turning back to his papers. "No, I don't know what it is but no," Mako replied as he ignored his brother standing beside his desk. Almost on command, Bolin hunched down to be within Mako's field of vision and began to pout. "That doesn't work on me and you know it. I'm not getting involved in whatever you're thinking." Despite this statement, Bolin knew that he was winning. There was a slight annoyance in Mako's voice that indicated he was going to cave. After a few moments, Mako sighed and put his papers down. "What are you planning?"

"I was thinking that we should go to visit Korra and Asami in the South Pole next week! Only the two of us. It'd be like the old days. Also, I really want to try that new seaweed noodle shop tonight. I hear their noodles are the next best thing in Republic City!" Bolin's voice grew as he got more excited. Eventually, his arms flew open and he smiled wide.

Looking at his brother, Mako put his head in his hand as he thought out loud, "Next week's not good for me. I have double duty and I've been summoned by Wu...He wants me to help him with some 'official' thing that he refuses to tell me about. Maybe next month we can go." The response got a sad look from Bolin which made Mako sigh. "But I could really use a good bowl of seaweed noodles. Are you sure Opal is alright with you not being home for dinner tonight?"

"No worries Mako, I already told her that I was going to have dinner with you tonight," Bolin smiled as he cheered to himself. Mako couldn't believe that Bolin had predicted this and then his expression softened as he realized that his brother was still that little twerp from their childhood.

After their shift, Mako and Bolin drove to the noodle shop which was on the outskirts of the shopping district. It was nice enough and had a large crowd. Obviously people enjoyed the food. They both ordered the seaweed noodle special. As it was brought out, Bolin's mouth watered which made Mako laugh. They were both under a lot of stress from work and family life, but today they could just relax like they did when they were young. This didn't last long though.

The sounds of people screaming came in like a tidal wave. People were running in the streets which prompted those in the shop to peek their heads out. Mako pushed his way through the crowd as Bolin worked on crowd control. In the distance Mako could see bursts of fire, flying rocks, and ice shards. It was obvious that there was a gang fight happening. One of the people running through the streets yelled, "EVERYONE RUN! THE TRIPLE THREATS AND CREEPING CRYSTALS ARE FIGHTING!"

Mako looked at Bolin and they nodded. Without needing words they understood what they needed to do. Mako ran ahead as Bolin trailed slightly behind helping anyone fleeing the scene. Mako ducked quickly as an ice shard flew through the air threatening to take his head off. "Stop, police," Mako yelled as he engaged a Creeping Crystal Triad Member. His attention was quickly drawn away by a familiar sight. Turning abruptly, Mako confirmed his suspicions. He ran towards the center of the battle keeping his eyes on the green tinged yellow flames.

"BOLIN! LIANG'S HERE!" Mako called out, but his brother was too far behind him to hear. Mako rushed towards the scene, but was slowed down by various attacks from both Triads. That's when he saw Liang defending an unconscious Triad member. Mako wondered if this meant she got involved in a Triad or if she was just defending a downed man. He couldn't think about it too much because he needed to stay focused on his own fight. After knocking one earthbender down, Mako rushed towards the fire fight but was knocked down by a water whip. For a moment he turned his attention to the water bender who just attacked him, but that was quickly diverted when he felt the electricity in the air.

"LIANG NO!" Mako screamed as he turned towards the bright light. He assumed that it was Liang generating the lightning, which he knew from experience could kill, but instead it was a triad member. Frozen for a moment, Mako watched as Liang was knocked off her feet by a bolt of lightning. His stomach turned as he watched the electricity course through her body tearing a hole in the back of her jacket before finally being redirected out of her body. Mako grit his teeth as he pushed himself up to his hands and knees to blast the Triad member who attacked Liang. Turning back to where Liang was, Mako watched as she was taken away by two men fleeing the fight.

Bolin found Mako still on the ground when he knelt down and stated, "Backup's here." Mako grabbed Bolin's arm and pulled himself to his feet.

"They took Liang," Mako stated as he looked around for a police vehicle.

"What do you mean? She's at home tonight. She didn't have work," Bolin stated as he tried to calm his brother down.

Turning to grab his brother, Mako looked into Bolin's eyes and said, "I saw her and she was taken by a triad. Just trust me on this one." Bolin nodded as he followed Mako down an alleyway and through several weaving streets. After an hour of searching Bolin grew concerned for Mako.

"Mako, she wasn't here. You probably mistook someone. Let's head to my house. I'll show you that everything's alright," Bolin stated as he place a reassuring hand on his shoulder.


	4. Chapter 3

When Liang woke up she was in a cot covered in bandages. A change of clothes were folded in a chair beside her with the red scarf folded neatly on top. She looked around and found the room dimly lit by a glowing green crystal. The blanket covering her was a perfect thickness and the bed was soft, but that didn't stop the searing pain that ran through her left side. Slowly she sat up and started to take off the bandages to get an idea of the damage. A strange pattern decorated her skin from her left hip up through her left arm where the lightning exited her body. It didn't look too bad, but it definitely needed to be covered. Liang did her best to rewrap the bandages before moving to put her clothes back on. She struggled a bit, but was able to dress herself. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Liang tried to form a plan for getting out of the room.

Just as she made up her mind to try blasting through the wall a person entered. They used earthbending to form a door to the room, which indicated that she was definitely at a disadvantage. Liang looked at the person who smiled. He was a young man probably around her age or a little older. He wore a simple green shirt with a close-fitting jacket. His mouth moved, but not even muffled sounds came out. Liang then touched her ears and noticed that the usual hearing aids were gone, probably exploded when she was hit by that lightning. The person noticed this and took out a piece of paper and pen.

 _My name is Bak-koh. You saved me during the fight with the Triple Threat Triads. Now you're safe, but your hearing aids were destroyed. You've been asleep for almost two days now. Are you deaf?_

Liang took the pad as it was extended to her. She read the message and wondered how she should respond. Taking the pen, Liang replied to the message,

 _Thanks for caring for me, but I really need to get going. Can I leave?_

Liang handed the pad back to the young man who read the response. His face contorted slightly as he looked up at Liang before writing,

 _My boss has a few questions she wants to ask you, but after that you can leave._

Liang read the message and nodded informing Bak-Koh that she understood. He left the room shortly after and Liang took a seat back on the bed. She was growing anxious as she waited for someone else to return to the room. It didn't take long. Soon a young woman appeared in the doorway draped in a beautiful green shawl appeared along with Bak-Koh and another, more intimidating man. She began to speak, but Liang just pouted and pointed to her ear. While she could hear that the woman was saying something the words were intelligible and there was no way Liang was putting in the effort to lip-read in her state. She was still exhausted and her body trembled slightly.

The woman had darker skin and beautiful silky brown hair. Liang was slightly jealous since her hair never looked that good. As the woman scribbled on the pad, Liang watched the body language of the other two men. This was something that Uncle Mako told her to do to help her assess the situation. From what she gathered neither were intimidated by her or saw her as a threat, which could prove dangerous if she needed to flee.

 _My name is Jargala and I am the head of the Creeping Crystal Triad. You saved one of ours during a fight that took place almost two days ago between us and the Triple Threat Triad. I am grateful to you for saving Bak-Koh's life. I was wondering what you were doing there in the first place and if you wanted to join us? You'd be a valuable asset to us as a firebender._

Liang looked at the woman as she smiled to her. Taking the pen, Liang scribbled down her reply,

 _I was going home from work and no I'm not interested in joining, but thanks._

Jargala glanced up at Liang as she read the note. It was obvious that she wasn't impressed by Liang's not wanting to join her gang, but instead of pushing the subject Jargala nodded and looked at the two men on either side of her. She then proceeded to write,

 _I'll have someone take you out._

After writing the note, Jargala turned away from Liang and left the room. Bak-Koh lingered for a moment longer before following Jargala. The door closed behind them and Liang was left alone again. She sighed heavily as she held her side and laid down on the bed. She closed her eyes and let her mind wandered.

She must've fallen back to sleep because when she awoke she was on a back alley somewhere in Republic City. There was a small note in her pocket that read,

 _The Creeping Crystals are thankful to you. If you need us you'll know where to find us._

Liang crumpled the piece of paper up and threw it into the nearest trash can. She held her left side as a sharp pain ran through her side. Her stomach growled loudly as she followed the alley way to the street. She knew that she should probably go to the hospital, but she didn't want to nor did she want to explain things to her parents right now. With a heavy sigh, Liang held her stomach. She checked her pockets and found that her wallet had been taken which wasn't a good sign either. Besides having her money, her wallet had her ID cards which meant that whoever had her wallet knew where she lived. Liang sighed heavily as she decided where she was going to go now.


	5. Chapter 4

Bolin burst through his front door. He didn't bother taking off his shoes. "Liang!" he shouted as he entered the living room. There he found his daughter with a large bowl of leftover rice with salmon on top. She looked up at him with a curious look before going back to her food. Signing with one hand, Liang said, ' _Hi dad. We have to call Aunt Asami because my hearing aids were trashed.'_ Bolin was still trying to comprehend what was happening when he noticed Liang's hand. It had a strange pattern that littered her skin.

Bolin quickly took a seat next to Liang and reached for her hand. ' _A lot's happened Dad. I'll tell you later, but right now I'm starving.'_ With this Bolin backed off a bit. He felt a little embarrassed since he wasn't sure what to do next. Part of him wanted to yell at Liang and demand that she tell him what happened, but he also knew that it would get him nowhere. Taking a deep breath, Bolin calmed himself and leaned on his knees so he could be seen.

' _Ok. Is it alright if I sit here with you?'_ Bolin feared that he'd be sent away, but instead Liang just shrugged her shoulders as she took another large spoonful of rice and shoved it in her mouth. Bolin watched quietly as he thought about what to do next. Glancing at Liang's hand, Bolin wondered how bad the damage was. He knew the dangers of lightning and after what he heard from Mako, Bolin feared the worst. Seeing Liang now though, one wouldn't know that anything was out of the ordinary. Maybe that was a good thing…

When Liang finished her bowl, she stood and took it to the sink. She washed it and placed it on a drying rack before taking a seat next to her father. She took a deep breath and tried to think of what to say. Before she could say anything Bolin started, ' _I was so worried. Are you alright? Do you need a healer? Aunt Korra's in the city for a while we can…'_

' _No Dad, I'm fine. I saw a healer already. There's not much more to do than rest now.'_ Liang kept her response short because she was still trying to figure out what to say. There was so much she needed to say, but there was no good way of saying it. ' _We should go to the police station though. Someone stole my wallet and I need a new ID.'_ Bolin was caught off guard by how calm and nonchalaunt Liang was about this entire situation, but then again she was always like this. Rarely did she open up and show fear or concern for her situation.

' _Why don't you rest for today and we can go tomorrow. I'd still feel better if Aunt Korra took a look at you. Also, you should probably give your statement at the station.'_ Bolin replied calmly as he smiled to his daughter. Something told him that she'd been through alot and didn't want to push her too much. Bolin stared ahead when he felt Liang lean against him. Her eyes were shut and her body felt heavy like it was being weighed down by something more than exhaustion. Bolin let his arm wrap around her shoulders as they sunk back into the couch.

Unspoken words passed between them which made Bolin remember when she was younger and things were simpler. He wanted to protect her and ensure that nothing bad would happen, but the last few days made him feel like a failure as a father. Holding onto Liang, Bolin cherished these moments as he let his head rest against hers.

LATER THAT NIGHT

Opal came home and saw Liang and Bolin asleep on the couch. She rushed over to her daughter with concern in her eyes. It subsided when she saw how peaceful she slept. This all changed when Hung and Huan burst through the doorway. "Liang's back! Liang's back!" they cheered in unison as they jumped on Bolin and Liang, waking them both. Bolin smiled as the two boys piled on top of him and Liang.

Picking Hung up, Bolin said to the boys, "Let's calm down. You can play with Liang tomorrow." Bolin looked at his daughter who was holding her left side. Concern littered his face as he knelt down to be eye level with Liang. ' _What's wrong? Are you alright?'_ Bolin didn't get a response as Liang regulated her breathing. Bolin turned to Opal, "I'm taking her to Korra. Tell Mako to meet me at Asami's."

Opal nodded as she gathered the boys. She was genuinely concerned for her daughter, but at the moment they couldn't leave the boys alone. Both were a bit freaked out by Liang's response to them and Opal knew she had to calm them down. She turned to Bolin who was grabbing a coat for Liang, "I'll come when I can." Bolin nodded as he wrapped Liang in the coat and picked her up.


	6. Chapter 5

Asami was waiting at the door for Bolin who'd called just a few minutes earlier. Korra was standing beside her as they watched for a car to pull up. Mako was the first to arrive. He'd come from the police station and immediately left when he got a call from Bolin. "Are they here yet?" Asami shook her head 'no' which made Mako worry a bit. "Well, Bolin said he was on his way so they should be here soon." The three stood in the doorway waiting for Bolin to arrive with Liang. The cold night air indicated the changing seasons in Republic City. Mako didn't like this time of year because it reminded him of the cold nights on the streets and how hard it was to find food in the winter months. Mako was pulled from his thoughts as another car pulled up.

Bolin's car pulled up right to the front steps. He was signing to Liang who was sitting in the passenger seat. Bolin killed the engine and walked over to the passenger side. It was obvious that Liang was resisting Bolin's help as she got out of the car herself. Bolin still kept an arm around her and offered support, but she was walking on her own. Asami smiled warmly to Liang and signed, ' _It's cold. Come in.'_ Liang smiled to Asami and walked up the stairs leaning gently on Bolin. Liang's eyes met Mako's for a moment and she saw the concern.

' _I'm fine. Just a little sore. Don't worry so much,_ ' Liang said to Mako as she walked up the stairs. Mako knew her well enough to not push the subject, but his eyes gave him away. Liang knew she worried a ton of people and it made her feel guilty for some reason. Going into the mansion, Liang kept her eyes straight ahead. Korra looked at her and smiled. For some reason Liang felt that Korra understood what was happening and how she felt. Too bad Korra was always off somewhere doing Avatar business.

' _I set up a room for you. Don't worry, no boys allowed,'_ Korra signed as she gave a thumbs up. Liang smiled to her and moved away from Bolin. She nodded towards Korra and Asami as they disappeared down the hall leaving Bolin and Mako alone.

"What happened?" Mako demanded as he turned to Bolin.

"I don't know. She called me on the home phone and I found her eating a bowl of rice when I got home. She didn't seem that bad when I got there, but you're right. She was definitely in that fight. It looks like the lightning did a lot of damage, but I couldn't see really. Everything was fine until the boys woke us up," Bolin explained as he tried to recount the hours earlier. "Do you think she's gotten involved in a Triad?"

Mako shook his head and replied, "No, I think she was just caught up in the fight and tried to help."

Korra led Liang down the hall and into a private room that looked a lot more like a room in the southern watertribe. There were mats on the floor to sit on and a small basin of water in the corner. Against the wall of the room under the window was a full sized bed and chest. Korra motioned for Liang to take a seat on the floor near the basin. Asami closed the door behind them and took a seat behind where Liang was. She looked at Korra for a moment before Korra turned to Liang, ' _It's just us girls so you can take off your shirt.'_

Liang looked at Korra for a moment before slowly pulling off her jacket and shirt to reveal a layer of bandages covering her torso up to her left arm. Liang started to undo the bandages, but Korra stopped her. ' _I can do that.'_ Liang didn't argue. She knew she could, but there was some comfort knowing that Korra was there helping.

Korra took a glob of water from the basin in one hand as another undid the bandages. As the bandages were taken off, Korra replaced them with the glowing water. Once the bandages were removed Korra could see the extent of the damage. Letting the water spread over the entire affected area, Korra breathed slowly and allowed the water to heal. Korra could see the damage done on the inside and focused on repair the damaged tissue around Liang's organs. The lightning strike was powerful and it was obvious that when the lightning struck Liang she was airborne. There were two paths that the lighting traveled through Liang's stomach, which she probably forced once she realized what was happening and her heart, which was the main target. The branching pattern on Liang's skin showed how the lightning spread from its initial impact, but there was something unique about it. Korra examined it closer and her face revealed something that it shouldn't.

Korra and Asami appeared in the hallway where the two brothers stood obviously worried. Korra opened her mouth first to explain what she found before the others could ask questions. "Liang's fine. The muscles around her heart were damaged, but her heart wasn't touched because she redirected the lightning while it was inside of her body. It's really impressive actually. Since the electricity lingered in her body for a split second before being able to escape through her left arm there's a good amount of skin damage and scarring. It's mostly superficial so no need to worry. One thing though. From what I can tell something happened right after the strike, between when the lightning entered her body and it exited...I think she may have died for a brief moment. It's not impossible since the muscles around her heart were affected. They could've easily seized, but then when the lightning left her body and the excess energy dissipated the muscles relaxed. Maybe someone performed CPR or the shock of the lightning leaving her body and her chi returning to a lower state started her heart back up. " The air was heavy as Bolin and Mako tried to understand the information given to them. Korra could see this and quickly reassured them, "But don't worry. She's fine now. She's asleep peacefully in the guest room that my parents often use. She just needs to take it easy for a while and she'll be back to her normal self."

Bolin's face was still extremely pale as he comprehended Korra's words. He nearly fell back as he stumbled slightly, placing a hand against the wall of the hallway. "It's my fault. I should've…my little girl died and I couldn't find her for two days."

Mako pulled Bolin in for a tight embrace and said sternly, "Stop this now. There's nothing you can do about the past. Right now Liang needs you to be strong for her. We'll catch those bastards, but for now you just focus on being there for Liang."

Bolin calmed down and picked his head up to look his brother in the eyes, "Thanks. Your right." Bolin then turned to Asami, "Liang was asking about another pair of hearing aids. The others were destroyed."

"Already on it. I'll have them ready by tomorrow early afternoon," Asami replied with a sweet reassuring smile. "You're all welcome to stay here for the night. Bolin there's a bedroom next to where Liang's is. It has two beds in it." Asami knew that the two brothers were close and thought she'd offer a room where they could stay together. Bolin looked at Mako who nodded. The two followed Asami down the hallway and into a separate bedroom.


	7. Chapter 6

It'd been over two weeks since Liang stepped foot in the pro-bending training hall. While she was cleared for training and light sparring by Korra, her father was pretty adamant about keeping her under house arrest. She felt fine and wanted to get back in the gym to start preparing for the next season of pro-bending. Just getting in some light training was going to be a struggle since she was out of shape and hadn't produced a good flame in over a week.

Getting into training gear, Liang found space in the gym to practice shadow boxing. Her quick jabs and crosses mixed with evasions and basic movement. This was her usual warm up to quicken the heart beat. As she did this she felt her chest tighten forcing her to take a break after only 10 minutes. She grit her teeth and scolded herself. Being unable to do the simple things made Liang frustrated. Korra explained that the muscles surrounding her heart were greatly affected and might seize up when she started training again. Eventually they'd return to normal, but eventually was too far away for Liang.

Liang spent a good amount of time retraining her endurance and cardio that day. She ignored technique and sparring opting to build up her physique. If she couldn't stay in the ring for more than 10 minutes she was useless to her team. After a long day of training, Liang found herself sitting in the locker room looking at the pro-bending schedule. She had only two months to prepare for the next season and she was wondering if she'd make it. Prior to the incident, Liang was a popular bender with her team the Amber Armadillo Tigers. Would she be able to get back to what she was? With a heavy sigh Liang leaned against the lockers and thought to herself quietly.

' _Hey? What's up?'_ a blue eyed girl said with a smile. She had a towel draped over her shoulder and was covered in sweat. Liang smiled back as she shrugged leaning her head back against the locker.

' _Just getting back into the groove. What about you?'_

' _The usual. Nothing too crazy. So are you going to be back for next season?'_

' _Don't count me out yet. I've dealt with worse,'_ With that Liang gave a cheeky smile before standing up and heading out of the room. ' _I'm going to head out for today. I'll see you later.'_

Liang left the locker room with her backpack over her shoulder. She sighed heavily. She's been doing that a lot recently. Looking at her watch, Liang noticed that it was around 1pm. She had a few minutes before she was scheduled to get lunch with her father. He'd been really worried the last week and was keeping a closer eye on her. It was a bit frustrating, but she could understand why.

Heading down the street towards the police station, Liang put in her hearing aids. She would have enough time to walk through the park before heading to the police station so she did just that. While she was in the park she saw various people. They all seemed happy and enjoying the day. In the sky there were several spirits as well since she wasn't too far from the Spirit Portal. Liang never traveled through the Spirit Portal and had never been to the Spirit World. There was something about humans respecting the spirits and not using the portals as a means of transportation. Liang didn't really think of it much, so she didn't really care if she ever did travel through the portals.

Liang looked up at some of the spirits, who normally kept their distance from humans. They flew high in the sky and reflected the light from the sun. It was really beautiful to watch them.

"Ahhh...wash tt." someone said as Liang bumped into them. Their voice raised as they threw their hands in the air. Liang smiled apologetically and put her hands up.

"Shorry. Ie dint shee oo," she replied hoping the woman would back off. While the woman did stop yelling her face changed. She looked sad, which meant pity in most cases. The woman spoke slowly and exaggeratedly as she tried to guide Liang off the path. This annoyed Liang as she tried to assure the woman that she didn't need any help. "Ie don neehd helfp," Liang replied more sternly as she pulled away from the woman and headed down the street. This wasn't exactly an uncommon thing. People often assumed she was lost or something whenever she opened her mouth. When she didn't people assumed she was ignoring them...to be honest, Liang didn't know which was worse.

By the time Liang got to the police station she found her father waiting for her outside of the building. With a big smile, Bolin waved to Liang. He looked like a child waving to a friend when Liang glanced away. For as long as she could remember, Bolin was a bit of a goof who seemed to always managed to mildly embarrass her in some way. He ran up to her and smiled wide as he said, ' _wanna go to the cafe down the street. It's got great hot sandwiches!'_

' _Sure. Sounds good,'_ Liang replied as she walked with her father down the street. It was a nice enough day, but there was a lot on Liang's mind from getting back in shape for pro-bending season to their family excursion to Zaofu. Bolin talked about his day and some strange things that happened at the station. It was all small talk that Liang didn't mind. For the most part, it was just something that her father did to make things seem normal again.

The two got to the cafe and quickly placed their orders before taking a seat. The cafe was relatively empty except for a few people sitting outside. This was the most time that Liang and Bolin spent time together in a long time. Too often they were both busy, Bolin with work, Liang with training. After the incident the two had more free time or made more effort to spend time together. Liang knew that Bolin was still scared about what happened and was trying to hide his nerves, but Liang could tell. After the incident Bolin had been more involved in both her and her brother's lives. It wasn't a bad thing, but it was a change.

The sandwiches were brought out by a young man who smiled warmly at Liang. She returned the smile politely before digging into the sandwich. Bolin couldn't help but point out, ' _he likes you.'_

' _He's just being nice. It's his job. Don't think about it too much.'_ Bolin turned to look at the young man and gave him a bit of a glare indicating that Bolin was definitely her father. ' _Dad. Stop it. Don't be rude,'_ Liang said somewhat embarrassed as she tried to get Bolin to focus back on her.

Bolin smiled wide as he basked in the glory of embarrassing his daughter. There was a slight feeling of victory whenever a parent successfully embarrasses their child and Bolin loved it. He looked at Liang and smiled wide. No matter how upset she was with Bolin, whenever he smiled like an idiot, Liang couldn't help but laugh. The two finished their meal and Liang walked back to the station with Bolin. ' _I'll see you tonight Dad. Mom's cooking something special, so you'd better not be late.'_

Bolin gave a thumbs up before disappearing back into the station. Liang was going to walk back home since she didn't have anything else planned. There was a good book waiting on her desk just begging to be finished. As she walked she breathed in the cool fresh air. While the weather was getting colder, the sun helped keep things comfortable. Just as she was rounding a corner someone slipped a note in her hand. Immediately she whipped around trying to find who it was, but the crowd had grown and whoever it was disappeared. Liang opened the note and read:

 _Tonight the Ports. Jargala wants you at Pier 22 at 7:00pm._


	8. Chapter 7

It was getting closer to 7:00pm and with every tick of the clock, Liang felt more anxious. When she first got home, she immediately went into her room to read, but instead stared at the note. She knew that she shouldn't go, but at the same time, she wanted to so badly. This was the exact thing that her father and uncle warned against. She never thought anything like this would happen and now that it had, Liang felt completely unprepared to deal with it.

Liang kept her cool during dinner, effectively pushing the thought away and focusing on the usual chaos of their dinner table. Laying on her bed, staring at the ceiling, Liang wondered what she should do. Glancing at the clock again, Liang sighed. After a few moments staring blankly at the ceiling, Liang jumped out of bed. She quickly dressed in darker clothes that also protected against the wind that was blowing. It'd be much colder by the docks. Opening the window, Liang felt the cool wind fill her lungs before jumping out. She made sure to turn off the lights in her room and stuff pillows under her comforter. From the outside, Liang closed her window and headed off to the docks.

Jargala was waiting with several other triad members at pier 22. She wasn't sure if Liang would show up, but she bet on it. Since the last time they met strange things have happened and she needed information that Liang had, whether she realized it or not. "Ma'am, Liang's here," the triad member on her left stated before Bak-Koh lead Liang to where the others were.

There were four Creeping Crystals including Jargala and one person who didn't quite fit in. Liang was being led by one of the triad members when she saw the small group gathered. Her eyes were alert as she approached the Triad leader. Liang looked at Jargala as she spoke, "This is Wu-tan, he's an interpreter that we found. It's hard to write everything that needs to be said, so I brought him in." Liang glanced between Jargala and Wu-tan as he translated her words. Liang nodded in understanding as she kept her hands at her sides. "A source has told me that the Triple Threats have split with one faction being led by someone new. This new faction has been causing a lot of trouble behind the scenes, specifically...spirit bending."

Liang took in the information before raising an eyebrow. ' _Only the Avatar can spirit bend. Your information must be wrong.'_ Wu-tan translated, but Jargala didn't look at him. She kept her eyes focused on Liang.

"My information isn't wrong. There's something happening and I have a feeling that you can help us," Jargala stated as she shifted slightly in her spot. "You were struck with lightning that should've killed you. When we first brought you back and treated you there were certain...properties… that your wound had. It's different than usual lightning scars...also…" Jargala lifted her hand and threw a piece of jennanite towards Liang. She earthbended the crystal to wrap around Liang's left hand. At first Liang reeled back in fear of the creeping crystal engulfing her, but then something strange happened. Instead of engulfing her, the crystal seemed reel backwards and shrink. As she looked closer she noticed that the branching scar left behind by the lightning strike glowed a dull green similar to her flame.

Jargala carefully watched the crystal react to Liang and nodded as her suspicions were confirmed. She looked at the others with a raised eyebrow. Liang looked at them as if to ask what was happening. Obviously this had to do with the lightning strike. Liang stared down at her hand for a moment before asking, ' _So what does this mean?'_

With a saddened look, Jargala replied, "I don't know. But we'll be in contact. Something strange is happening and you're going to help us keep the balance. Just keep on your toes."


End file.
